Kristine Kuzemka has run for public office twice in the last three years - the first for Las Vegas Justice of the Peace in 2010 and the other for Las Vegas City Council just a few months ago (special election). What is remarkable about those campaigns is not that she lost, but how close she, as a relative political unknown, with less campaigning time in the field and even less money than her opponents, came to winning.

How did she do it? Much like a certain senator back in 2007-2008, Kristine approached those campaigns the same way she does everything, with hard work, coalition building and a yes-we-can-do spirit. Kristine grew up in Las Vegas and then obtained her bachelor's degrees in sociology from the University of Washington. From there she went to work for a staffing and recruiting company where she oversaw a $10 million annual budget. She returned to Las Vegas in 2002 with a law degree from Seattle University in hand and went to work for the Clark County District Attorney's office. She has experience in private practice and public service, both civil and criminal cases, and has been working as a Public Defender for Clark County since 2004.

With all that going on, Kristine continues to serve the community. She is an active member of the Clark County Democratic Central Committee and has volunteered for numerous candidates' campaigns. She is a member of the steering committee for the Human Rights Campaign, a member of the Lawyer's Assistance Program and a volunteer for Community Legal Services. She is also the past vice-president of We-Care Recovery Center.

You won't forget her name. She's a superstar in the making.

Kristine resides with her partner of 15-years, Nancy, in Las Vegas. Thank you, KRISTINE for your service to our community - you are appreciated!

Lately I’ve been asking myself what it means to be a Democrat. Sometimes I’m more proud of being one than others. I’ve visited the county, state and national bylaws and even checked in with Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary to find out how they define the word, “Democrat.” The Dictionary does a better job of defining us than our own bylaws do. (By the way, look it up in the book, not the internet - BIG difference.) But what I’m clear about is that political parties are NOT all the same. Say what you will about Democrats versus Republicans, the ideology is totally different and the message is much more inclusive on the Democratic side. So, yes: it matters which political party you align with and says a great deal about the person you are.

Although I am an officer of the state Democratic Party, I'm pretty sure that the Democratic Party is a machine. The fact that it is made up of people who are mostly human doesn’t deter me from that belief. The Democrat’s agenda is to elect Democrats, plain and simple. They are laser focused on beating the Republicans at the polls. Democratic activists are a bit more discriminating, choosing the candidates or issues they want to work for who most appeal to their personal values.

A long time ago I was an activist. One day, someone said I should bring my activism to the machine, said grassroots advocacy was what we needed. And so I did. I’ve served the machine the best way I know how. The hardest thing about being an activist first and a party official second is the transition. It’s not been an easy task to be on the machine team and maintain my personal values along the way.

There are those who think they can do both – be a machine player and an activist player. We’ve seen that with the Tea Party, more recently with the Ron Paulers, and now with some progressives. All are in camps of their own creation trying to infiltrate the very camps they object to. I’m here to tell you it’s just not possible unless you don’t care about oaths that you took or walking your talk. You destroy one or the other in the process.

In the Party, the machine comes first, people come last.

In the grassroots, people come first and the machine comes last. In between, the egos of one or two have hijacked the people or the machine too many times.

Through my time as part of the machine, I’ve been pummeled and humiliated and thrown under the bus by people who I thought were my friends. But it hasn’t been all bad: I’ve been appreciated and acknowledged for my contributions from friends and made lots of new friends along the way. I came up short sometimes and did other things well. I do my best and try to remember that others are doing the same.

Democratic activists are the grassroots. The Democratic Party is the machine. Not only are they not the same, but they’re not supposed to be the same. Sometimes we come together. Sometimes we don’t. Always, we need one another to make the magic work.

Dave Baker is the kind of unassuming guy who might be easy to miss in a crowd. That's because he would be at the back of the room doing all the behind-the-scenes tasks instead of taking the spotlight up front. If there's anyone left in Nevada who doesn't know who Dave is, he's the guy who helps keep Northern Nevada Democrats in the know about what's going on in their communities.

As the Communications Coordinator for the South WashoeDEMS, Dave keeps club members apprised of events, candidate needs and calls to action. He produces a regular newsletter that is attractive, concise and informative - challenging enough for a tech person but Dave had no web or tech skills when he first took on the task. Now Dave is helping develop the first website for the South WashoeDEMS while still volunteering regularly for Obama for America. He also manages the South WashoeDEMS Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Dave's first political experience was as a 10-year old boy, going to campaign headquarters with his parents and stuffing envelopes for Lyndon B. Johnson. Not only did his parents take him with them when they went, but they were registered Republicans volunteering for Johnson's campaign. Nice life lesson!

Dave was a volunteer for the Kerry presidential campaign. After retiring in 2007 from his 35-year career as a letter carrier, he had more time to give. He devoted himself exclusively to the 2008 Obama campaign, volunteering in Nevada, Colorado and Texas and traveling there on his own dime. He continued to volunteer for Organizing for America after President Obama got elected and does so to this day, doing data entry and phone banking.

So Dave might be one of those guys you might not notice in the room, but you'd definitely notice if he wasn't there because life would feel like it hit a speed bump. He's the kind of person who makes your life better in countless, small ways and Nevada Democrats are better off because of it. Thank you, Dave for all you do - you are appreciated!

Remember what you were like at age 22? Hold that thought. Now, remember what the 2008 presidential race was like in Nevada before then-Senator Barack Obama won the nomination? Okay, so hold on to both of those memories. Now, imagine if you can that you just graduated from college and your very first job is recruiting, training, and coordinating volunteers in 225 precincts for Nevada's hotly contested 2208 Presidential Caucus. Can't see yourself there? Most people probably can't. Unless they happen to be Rebecca Maxie.

Fast forward four years. Today at age 26, Rebecca is the newly elected president of the Women's Democratic Club of Clark County*. Former club presidents include the honorable Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, former Nevada Assemblywoman and Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams and former Nevada State Democratic Party Chairwoman Adriana Martinez, just to name a few. Like her esteemed predecessors, Rebecca was involved in state politics for many years before being elected president of the club - it's just that she did it a little earlier, okay, a lot earlier than most.

Rebecca is the face of Nevada's up and coming young Democrat. A third generation Las Vegan, she obtained her bachelor of arts in political science from the University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA). She returned to Las Vegas in 2007 and hasn't stopped for air since. She is a 2010 graduate of Emerge Nevada and the 2009 Global Leadership Summit. She has volunteered hundreds of hours for numerous local, state and national campaigns and served in various capacities for the Clark County Democratic Party and other local clubs/caucuses.

Oh, one more thing. In her professional life, she is Vice-President of Organized Karma, one of Nevada's premiere political consulting firms.

Congratulations to Rebecca on being this week's Blue Nevadan. Thank you for your leadership and for being an exemplary role model for young Democrats!

The Nevada State Democratic Party filed a Federal Election Commission complaint today against Danny Tarkanian citing his failure to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in leftover campaign debt [from his failed 2010 Senatorial bid] and questioning the legality of several donations.